With this seventh issue, we thought that it was time to take a retrospective and critical look at what we've accomplished up to now. The face of the Internet has changed enormously since the first issue of the Magazine, in September 1997. We wanted to take account of these transformations while also adapting ourselves to the wishes of our readers.

We have given Gilles Thibault responsibility for designing the Magazine's new presentation. He designed our initial Web site and now works for an important firm specialized in the field. Sylvie Parent, editor in chief for the Magazine, efficiently coordinates all this work, touching both on content and form. We would like to take this opportunity to thank them both for their exceptional work.

The Magazine has been re-worked, not just on a visual, but also on a structural level. We will devote more attention to electronic art and to the various parties involved in the field, as our readers have requested. Our Feature story deals with the situation of electronic art in England, identifying producers and publishers in the different regions and explaining the role they play in the milieu. In forthcoming issues of the Magazine, we will present other stories, focusing on particular aspects of electronic art: the artists, the producers, the publishers, the critics and reviewers, etc.

A new section, Perspective, presents a particular vision of art on the Web. About a dozen works, previously reviewed in the Magazine, have been selected for discussion under the theme of Intimacy and Interactivity (between you and me). These small collections aim to identify a particular tendency in Web art. The selection remains open, since you, our readers, are invited to suggest works and, if you wish, to comment them. In this edition, you will also find an Interview with Frédérick Belzile, an artist whose Web project, Dreamed, was selected for the 1998 Biennale de Montreal. This work is also among those discussed in Intimacy and Interactivity (between you and me).

We pursue are presentation of ten Web Works, a section highly appreciated by our readers. Spotlight also remains, for the same reason; in this issue, Magalie Tremblay comments on Nirvanet. Additionally, we continue to offer and update our comprehensive Calendar of exhibitions and events. Finally, we provide you with a collection of Links related to electronic art throughout the world.

The CIAC's Electronic Magazine is an important publishing effort for us. For that reason, we would like to know your expectations and interests. Your comments are highly appreciated.

Claude Gosselin
Artistic Director and Chief Executive
Centre international d’art contemporain de Montréal